Automatic edge-trimming machine



June 17, 1941. c. J. MELBY 2,245,868

AUTOMATIC EDGE-TRIMMING MACHINE Il III INVENTOR ORNEY `l-une 17,` 1941. y c. J. MELBY 2,245,868

AUTOMATIC EDGE-TRIMMING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 17, 194i TES ATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to mill machinery, and its object, stating the same generally, is to provide a machine for trimming the edges of shingles and other straight-sided mill products such as box-boards, house siding, and the like. Other and more particular objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description and claims.

The invention consists in the novel construction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section on the approximate median line of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, the section, more especially, being taken n line l-l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View in longitudinal vertical section, somewhat fragmentary, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 to detail the clamp-controlling cam devices of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken to an enlarged scale on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

From the fact that numerous departures from the illustrated and hereinafter described embodiment of the invention will readily suggest themselves, it is my intention that the same be understood as being simply one of various ways in which the invention might be applied. It is also intended, and I wish it to be so understood, in the several instances where the term shingle is employed in the description and claims to denote the work, that such term includes other applicable work. A

Describing the illustrated embodiment, the general framework of the machine comprises a bed plate, indicated by the numeral 5, on which are supported standards B tted at the upper ends with boxes l, and journaled through these boxes is a horizontal shaft 8 on which is mounted a rotary wheel, hereinafter sometimes called the carrier. Provided by this wheel is a hubpart formed with axially spaced bosses 9 at each end, and extending radially in the manner of a spider from these bosses are a plurality of arms l0 spaced uniformly about the circumference. These several arms are arranged in pairs, which is to say that each arm of one boss finds a complementing arm extending in the same radial plane from the other boss, and I maintain these paired arms in paralleling relation substantially ,at right angles to the axis of the shaft by vtie bars Il which rigidly connect the arms at their Vtherefrom in spaced relation to the related guide arm Vis a fingerl I6, the linger acting with the shelf to form a Yguarded ledge on which the inner edge of a shingle is lodged. The two ledges of a paired set of blocks are arranged to occupy a common plane parallel, or nearly parallel', with the axis of revolution of the Wheel.

-It may be here stated that the two arms of each pair act in complement as the relatively stationary element of a shingle-clamping assembly of which the movable element works in the space between the arms and is comprised of a jaw Il acting about a horizontal rod I3 as a fulorum, the rod finding a pivotal mounting in lugs I9 integral with the bosses 9 and lying, in the intervals between the arms IE). Each of the rods fL8 has ,fixedthereto a lever 2| which I indicate as being terminally forked, and received in this fork is a roller 20 arranged and adapted to track against the perimeter of a cam 23 held against rotation by means such asthe indicated bolts .25, the 4bolts serving the added office of supporting a gage plate 26 (Fig. 2) to have the latter lie at one end of the machine in substantial right-angular relation tov the wheel axis.

The action of the cam is to effect a disengagement o f the movable jaw IT in relation to a shine gle, the shingle being denoted in each of Figs. l. and 2 by the letter S, and for operating the jaw in its clamping function I employ springs 24.

Located below the approximate center of the wheel and beyond the outer limits of the latter is a stationary rail 2l supported by a post element 29 to occupy a plane at right angles to the shaft 8l and having its upper edge 28 produced on an arc concentric to the wheel axis.

Described more particularly in its relation to the work-regulating blocks I3 with which the same acts Vin complement to position the shingles in 5a trimming position on the carrier, said rail lies in the path of radial movement of a shingle urged outwardly by said blocks and occupies a plane which by a prolongation at substantial right angles to the inner edge of a shingle bearing against the ledges of the blocks traverses said inner edge between the two points at which the paired blocks bear against the shingle. Otherwise stated, the paired blocks provide a two-point bearing for the inner edge of a supported shingle, and the rail provides a one-point bearing for the outer edge, which one-point bearing lies between the two points of bearing for the inner edge. The arrangement is one which permits the paired blocks to perform their workregulating oce, which is to say bring the upper edge of a supported shingle into true parallelism with the axis of the wheel in that the rail serves to firmly hold the upper or, as it relates to the axis of the wheel, the inner edge of the shingle irmly against both of the paired blocks.

Regulated as described by the blocks and rail,

and clamped in such regulated position by the jawsvll, the trimming function of the machine is accomplished through the instrumentality of any suitable trimmer or trimmers as, for example, the circular cross-cut and band saws indicated by 30 and 33, respectively. The former of these saws has its arbor 3| journaled in a standard 32 of the machine frame to operate in a plane parallel with the gage plate 26 at the end of the machine opposite therefrom, and the band saw 33 passes about pulleys 34 to locate the saw-line lead 33" in a horizontal plane immediately beyond the rail 21 and slightly above the latter.

Employing any suitable source of power to drive the wheel in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. l, the operation of the machine is as follows:

When a jaw I1 occupies its open position relative to the arms ID-as at A in Fig. l, a position reached as the arms travel upwardly beyond the horizontal center of the wheela shingle is placed upon the paired arms to have the inner edge lodge between the fingers I6 and the arms IU and against the ledge-forming faces I5. At or about the time the arms reach the vertical position B of Fig. l, the spring 24 of the related jaw I1 asserts its tension influence to bring the jaw into clamping relation to the introduced shingle. The jaw element remains in this clamping position until the shingle is brought in the rotary travel of the carrier above the advance end of the rail 21, whereupon the crown 23' of the cam imparts a momentary trip to the roller and causes the jaw to open and release the shingle, and during such tripping interval the blocks are caused to slide radially outwardly on the arms Hl and in consequence move the shingle radially outwardly into a position whereat the outer edge contacts the rail and firmly seats the inner edge against the blocks. The shingle is then again clamped between the movable and stationary elements of the jaw assembly, an action which occurs in advance oi the point at which the outer edge of the shingle clears the rail, and in the following travel of the shingle the latter is given a trim along both the outer edge and the butt, squaring the butt relative to both side edges. As the trimming action is completed, the roller 20 rides up the shoulder 22 of the cam onto the high surface 222, opening the jaw assembly and retaining the same in open position throughout a period during which another shingle, untrimmed, is introduced to the carrier, the trimmed shingle having been delivered by gravity from the carrier. This completes a cycle of operation oi the wheel.

What I claim is:

l. In an automatic shingle-trimming machine:-

the combination of a rotary carrier acting to support the shingles relatively in radial relation to the carrier; a trimming device located in the path of travel of a shingle supported by the carrier and functioning to trim an edge of the shingle; and means for adjusting the shingle in relation to the carrier into a position whereat the edge is trimmed in the travel of the shingle with the carrier, said means comprising an adjusting head carried by the carrier, engaging the inner edge of the shingle at points proximate to but spaced from each of the end limits thereof, and movable radially in relation to the axis of the carrier in response to and at a predetermined point in the rotary movement of the latter, and a stationary rail element complementing said adjusting head, located in the path of the headinfluenced radial movement of the outer edge of the shingle, and occupying a plane which by a prolongation at substantial right angles to the inner edge of the engaged shingle traverses said inner edge between the two points at which the shingle is engaged by the adjusting head.

2. In an automatic shingle-trimming machine: the combination of a rotary carrier acting to support the shingles to locate the latter relatively in radial relation to the carrier; a trimming device located in the path which is traveled by a supported shingle for trimming an edge of the shingle; and means for adjusting the shingle in relation to the carrier into a position whereat the edge is trimmed in the travel of the shingle with the carrier, said adjusting means comprising complementary means one of which is stationary and engages the outer edge of the supported shingle and the other of which is carried by the carrier, engages the inner edge of the shingle supported thereon, and is movable radially in relation to the carrier in response to the rotary movement of the latter and at a point in the travel of the carrier whereat the outer edge of the shingle is brought into engagement with the stationary adjusting means.

3. A shingle-trimming machine according to claim 2, and means carried by the carrier and acting subsequent to the adjustment of the shingle but prior to the movement of the latter into engagement with the trimming device for clamping the shingle in its adjusted position, said clamping means being rendered inoperative to the shingle following the trimming action of the trimming device.

4. In an automatic shingle-trimming machine: the combination of a rotary carrier acting to support the shingles to locate the latter relatively in radial relation to the carrier; a trimming device for trimming an edge of the supported shingle located in the path which is traveled by the i shingle; and means for adjusting the shingle in relation to the carrier into a position whereat the edge is trimmed in the travel of the shingle with the carrier, said adjusting means comprising complementary devices one of which is stationary and acts to engage the outer edge of the supported shingle and the other of which is carried by the carrier, engages the inner edge of the supported shingle, and is movable radially in relation to the carrier in response to the rotary movement of the latter and at a point in the travel of the carrier whereat the outer edge is brought into engagement with the stationary device, said cornplementary adjusting devices being characterized j in that the one engages one edge of the shingle at a single point intermediate the two ends and the other engages the opposite edge of the shingle at two points from which lines taken at substantial right angles to the line of the engaged shingle edge traverse the other edge of the shingle at opposite sides of the single point at which the latter edge is engaged.

5. In an automatic shingle-trimming machine: the combination of a carrier acting to support the shingle; a trimming device for trimming an edge of the shingle located in the path which is traveled by a shingle supported by the carrier; and means for adjusting the shingle in relation to the carrier into a position Whereat the edge is trimmed in the travel of the shingle with the carrier, said adjusting means comprising complementary devices one of which is stationary and engages one edge of the supported shingle and the other of which is carried by but movable in relation to the carrier and engages the opposite edge of the supported shingle, said complementary adjusting devices being characterized in that the one finds engagement with one edge of the shingle at a single point intermediate the end limits of the edge and the other engages the` opposite edge of the shingle at two points from which lines taken at substantial right angles to the line of the engaged shingle edge traverse the other or first-named edge at opposite sides of the single point at which the latter is engaged.

6. A shingle-trirnming machine according to claim 5 having means operating subsequent to the adjustment of the shingle on the carrier and eiective during the trimming action of the trimming 4device for clamping the shingle to the carrier in the position in which the shingle is adjusted by the adjusting devices.

CHARLES J. MELBY. 

